The measures of a quality education extend far beyond academic attainment and exam results. However, many schools often neglect Character Education as a vital part of a child’s educational experience. But what is Character Education and why is its importance greater than ever in our rapidly changing world?
What is Character Education?
Character Education refers to explicit and implicit efforts to cultivate virtues and ethical values. The underlying principle in character education is to develop character traits and behaviours that instil motivation and guide conduct so that pupils reflect wisely, learn eagerly and behave with integrity and work well with others; the qualities that they need to flourish in our society. At Skippers, Character education is embedded across our formal curriculum, school culture and extra-curricular activities
Why is Character Education Important?
As an integral part of a balanced and well-rounded curriculum, schools have a duty to foster the social, moral and cultural development of pupils and prepare them for the challenges and responsibilities they will inevitably encounter in their future lives.
Character education is crucial in today’s society because it equips pupils with the positive personal traits, dispositions, moral and ethical compass required to navigate our increasingly complex world. While we cannot prepare children for jobs, experiences, problems and technologies yet to be conceived, character education serves to equip pupils with a toolkit to flourish in a job market and society that is continuously changing and evolving. They also develop the capacity of knowing how to select the best course of action in difficult situations.
What are the benefits of Character Education?
A dedicated approach to nurturing character yields many benefits. As research indicates, it can result in increased wellbeing and academic attainment for pupils.
Character education fosters resilience and self-confidence. When pupils face challenges or setbacks, they learn to persevere and bounce back. Confidence in their abilities grows, enabling them to tackle new challenges with determination.
By fostering virtues of responsibility, citizenship and service, pupils are encouraged to contribute to the common good and actively contribute to the betterment of their communities and society.
Our Commitment to Character Education
At Skippers, we firmly believe cultivating character is the cornerstone for improving wellbeing, attainment, behaviour and preparing pupils to prosper in society. Through character development and learning we allow children to grow into resilient adaptable individuals who can shape their own future. This is overwhelming the feedback we receive from senior schools regarding our pupils, and which was echoed again by the Heads of Bede’s and Mayfield this month.
A sentiment that James Priory, Head at Tonbridge, also found after meeting our pupils in Years 7 and 8:
“I was really impressed by their gentle confidence, the enthusiasm they showed for academic subjects and co-curricular pursuits, and the extent to which they knew and encouraged each other in their interests.”
Our tradition of excellence, our commitment to character education, and our dedicated teachers makes our school the perfect setting for pupils who want to extend their education beyond grades; it’s about becoming responsible, empathetic, resilient and well rounded adults.
Categories: Headmaster's Blog School Blog Year 5 - 8
